COVID-19 lockdowns threaten Africa’s vital informal urban food trade

Published on the IFPRI website on 31 March 2020, this blog by Danielle Resnick argues that as governments impose COVID-19 restrictions, informal food traders should be helped rather than persecuted. As COVID-19 begins its spread across Africa, concerns are growing about how the pandemic will affect the region’s already fragile food systems, especially in densely packed cities. 

Much of the region’s urban population works in the informal sector—many in wet markets and as street vendors—and depends on it for food, so lockdowns and other social distancing measures could pose major problems both for consumers and workers. Suggestions include: developing hygiene practices and clean water supplies with market associations, allowing more dispersed market sites during epidemics, and extending safety nets and health benefits found in formal markets to informal market workers. To manage this potential looming crisis in urban centers, local political leaders should be communicating now with market leaders about how to best handle a possible shutdown. Informal food traders in Africa are the heartbeat of their food systems, providing income for farmers, nutrition for poor consumers, and resources for essential urban services. It is imperative that African governments account for them in their COVID-19 responses, and not further relegate them to the shadows of the economy.